What to make of this Cardiff City team? On Tuesday, they go to the side in third position in the League One table and restrict them to two goal attempts, neither of which were on target. Looking at our goals conceded away from home record, those impressive stats shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise – we’ve only conceded six away goals all season, half of them in one game, and that’s comfortably the best record in the division (Bradford with nine against are next best).
Contrast those figures with our goals against record at home though. Today, we conceded three times at Cardiff City Stadium for the third time this campaign and only Blackpool have conceded more at home in League One than our fourteen.
How can you reconcile those figures? Traditionally, teams concede less at home than they do away, not us though and, our opponents today, Doncaster Rovers, were just like Bradford and Leyton Orient when they both scored three times here in that they could easily have scored more.
Perhaps a clue comes from the fact that, although Bradford were deserved 3-1 winners, Leyton Orient and Doncaster were on the end of 4-3 beatings.
We’re now at a stage where the season has been going on for long enough for its narratives to be set and one I’ve heard more and more as the weeks have gone by is that Cardiff “give you a chance” and that Cardiff are “very open”. Now, clearly, these comments refer to us at home – six goals conceded in nine games hardly merits such descriptions.
No, it can only refer to when we play at home. If you want more evidence that this is the case, let’s look at goals scored instead of goals conceded. We’ve got ten goals in our nine away games, not a bad haul, but if you stretch that kind of scoring rate across the course of a season, we’re going to score fewer away goals than some of our more mediocre Championship sides of recent seasons did.
So, our away games have yielded a total of sixteen goals in nine matches. A pretty miserly less than two goals a game then – what a contrast there is at Cardiff City Stadium!
Ten matches on our home ground have produced forty goals, so it’s easy enough to see that our home games are producing more than twice as many goals per game as our away ones are.
None of this is to say that we go away and shut up shop, I think we’re quite attacking in our outlook, but nowhere near as much as we are at home where we really go for it!
Once again, if we maintain our current scoring rate at home for the rest of the season, were on course to score more in our twenty three games at Cardiff City Stadium than we managed in the forty six matches of most of our recent Championship campaigns.
Therefore, is it any wonder that we are going to be stretched defensively at times at home? There is so much attacking intent from BBM’s team that even someone like me who grew heartily sick of the attritional “anti football” that became the norm at Cardiff for close to fifteen years, often asks under my breath for us to be a bit more “pragmatic” in our attitude!
Look at Doncaster’s second goal today, from their perspective there was a very perceptive through ball by our former Academy player Charlie Crew to Brandon Hanlan who netted with a calmly taken finish across Nathan Trott. However, from our point of view, Crew had got the wrong side of our two deeper lying central midfielders and he wouldn’t have seen many blue shirts in front of him as he contemplated what to do next – there was enough room to drive a bus through the empty spaces beyond him!
So, our attitude at home seems to be the archetypal “you score three and we’ll score four”, but that doesn’t mean that rank bad defending is tolerated and there was far too much of that today.
While I’ve maybe tried to put Doncaster’s second goal down to our mega attacking attitude, that doesn’t explain the big gap between Ronan Kpakio and Will Fish that Hanlan had to run into -Kpakio should have done more to get across to cover inside and didn’t seem to realise the danger until it was too late.
As for the first and third goals, they weren’t down to us being short of numbers behind the ball. For the first one, Joel Bagan was beaten by the very impressive Luke Molyneux who then pulled a cross back to the penalty spot where the unmarked Owen Bailey must have had about five or six City players in front of him as his shot got a touch off Ryan Wintle and went into the middle of the goal.
The third goal came from dead ball as we lost a header, were beaten to a second ball and allowed the scorer, Harry Clifton to get free of his man, cut past another blue shirt and fire in.
I must say I was impressed by Doncaster who came here with just one win in twelve and I can’t help thinking they’d have left with three points if you swapped the two keepers around – they were very unlucky to have lost. However runs like City are on create a special kind of momentum in that our winner in the ninth minute of added time didn’t come as a total shock and the same applies in reverse if you’re going through a spell like Doncaster are.
City went with Kpakio in for Perry Ng, Omari Kellyman for Joel Colwill and Isaak Davies for Chris Willock and made a careless start that suggested complacency or having Tuesday’s visit from Chelsea on too many minds.
Putting our early issues entirely down to that would be a disservice to Doncaster though who were playing attractive and effective football with Molyneux a threat down the right. When the visitors took the lead on fifteen minutes it was deserved, they’d been the better team, but, within twenty minutes, they were behind and City fans settled down thinking their team’s slow and scratchy start had been put behind them.
Strangely, I was thinking Isaak Davies is more effective coming off the bench than starting games about twenty seconds before Wintle found him out on the left, Davies then burst past his marker, despite being fouled twice by him (the hopeless American referee decided conceding a goal was sufficient punishment for the transgressor despite there clearly being bookable offenses committed) and played a clever ball to Kellyman who controlled with his rightt foot and scored, with the aid of a slight deflection with his left in one slick movement.
Nine minutes later, City’s best player on the day, Cian Ashford, received a header from Yousef Salech out on the right forty yards from goal and embarked on a run which showed pace and power in driving past two opponents before stabbing in a shot as he fell from ten yards that found the corner of the net.
From a City perspective, a fine individual goal, but Doncaster would rue the failure of those two defenders to stop Ashford in his tracks and keeper Thimothee Lo-Tutatha not being able to get a stronger right hand on a shot which was not that powerful.
Doncaster were averaging less than a goal a game before today, but they had no trouble in creating chances here and any thoughts that, having fallen behind, they would meekly accept their fate were dispelled by Hanlan’s equaliser.
The notion that BBM was angry at our first half was given credence by the replacement at half time of Kpakio, Will Fish and Davies with Ng, Dylan Lawlor and Willock (BBM has said in a posty game interview that Kpakio had been ill earlier in the week and was not feeling right, while Fish had a series of bumps and bruises which was affecting him – he did though confirm the unlucky Davies’ replacement was tactical with the danger Molyneux was causing at the heart of it) .
For a while, the changes seemed to have worked – City scored s fine third goal early in the second half when Wintle’s great ball was swept in expertly by Salech (I thought our top scorer was very good today – he dominated the Doncaster’s defence physically, exemplified by the way he brushed aside his marker in scoring his goal).
Still City couldn’t shake off the visitors though and after they’d made it 3-3 in the seventy second minute, Doncaster were the team that looked the more likely winners, but then, with the clock at ninety eight minutes plus (seven minutes added time had been shown), Ashford came in from the right and got a decent strike away from twenty yards. Ashford’s shot left Lo-Tutatha with an awkward save to make, but it was one he’d have been expected to manage, but instead he spilled it to his right and Bagan followed up to score his first goal since his three goals in a week spell under Mick McCarthy early in 2022 and send the crowd wild.
It was far quieter last night at Leckwith as City’s under 21s beat QPR 3-1 in the EPL Cup We probably deserved our 1-0 half time lead through a Troy Perrett penalty in an even first half, but got right on top after the break with goals by Tanatswa Nyakuhwa and the impressive Luke Pearce before the visitors grabbed a late consolation – like the senior game less than twenty four hours later, the entertainment value from the second string was very high.
It was also 3-1 at the same venue this lunchtime as the under 18s came out on top against a Premier League club’s Academy team. Brentford were beaten by with goals from Riley Hilaire-Clarke and a couple from Mannie Barton, both of which were penalties.
There was a welcome point for struggling Treherbert Boys and Girls Club as they drew 1-1 at Cardiff Corries in the Ardal League South West. Ton Pentre played their first Saturday game in what seems like months as they went down 3-1 at Penycraig United in the Highadmit South Wales Alliance Championship and have dropped down the table due to a combination of lack of games and a falling off in results, while Treorchy Boys and Girls Club were 4-2 winners at Porth Harlequins in Division One East to maintain a position in mid table.
Some interesting stuff there Paul, about the home and away games and thanks again for your insights into the game.
I note that you mention the ref concerning the Davies incident. I hadn’t realised that he was an American, not that that should have any bearing on things or explain his somewhat bizarre control of the game. The pulling back of Davies, despite our 2nd goal resulting from his strong run, definitely warranted a yellow card, but he let it go. Had he booked their no.27, Gregan(I think) he would have been walking a tightrope for the rest of the game. The ref then went on to keep his card in his pocket until much later in the game, despite more possible yellow card incidents. Still we shouldn’t complain too much, as I thought he was quite generous with the added on time, allowing for our fabulous 4th goal winner.
Your explanations about Fish & Kpakio make perfect sense, as both were obviously “off their game” and it begs the question about BBM’s decision, to start them both, as they both combined to cost us at least one goal. Another issue for me was how Donny kept such a high press on us forcing us into many errors and completely slowing down our attacking momentum. We didn’t really seem to have an answer for that and later in the game I thought a better sub option would have been Joel Colwill instead of Turnbull(Slug). It was a real concern to concede the 3 goals in the ways that we did, especially that first goal, which seemed to have very little pace on it.
I have to admit that I was fuming after their 3rd goal, but I concede that it was an entertaining game and we certainly got our money’s worth compared to some of the dross we’ve endured in recent seasons. Lol. There’s much to work on for BBM, but what a great place to be at the top of the table, coming up to Christmas. Fingers crossed for 2026.
Thanks Paul for coming up with those interesting stats.
The conclusion I draw from the disparity in our number of home goals vis-a-vis away ones, is that our boys feel their main role in away games as ‘first ensure we are not beat’*
Yes, a bit simplistic on my part, I’m sure.
As for yesterday, my conclusions are somewhat firmer.
First, we need to know when the penny will drop with BBM re Chambers. He is a liability as a centre back when he has forwards who really press him.
Second, whatever Craig Bellamy says, Kpakio has had most of the defensive bones in his body surgically removed. Going forward he is a more-than-useful player: as indeed is Chambers.
And third, how ironic the one game Joel does not get our man-of -the match, he scores that last gasp winner…!! But yesterday he was up against a top-top winger… and had his hands full.
*not my bad grammar so much as my wanting to quote the vernacular.
TTFN,
Dai.
Hi Paul.
Thanks for your excellent summary and for highlighting the home and away differentials. Interesting stuff.
Firstly, the match was a real Christmas cracker – from a neutral perspective. However, we are not neutrals! I share your – and Iain and Dai’s – frustrations with the quality of our defending. We looked really solid at home earlier in the season, but now have mistakes in us and better teams probe and find them. Fortunately , we are not meeting too many better teams!
I agree that their number 7, Molyneux, was excellent and gave Bagan a torrid time I thought. He would be a useful addition to our ranks.
Doncaster were very good and played us at our own pressing game very effectively. I didn’t think that they would be able to keep it up, but they gave it a damn good go! Without their goalkeeping errors they would have got more from this game. Surely they won’t be stuck down the bottom of this division for too long playing like that?
Good management to make 3 changes at half time, although thought Davies was really unlucky given his 45 minute display. Agree with Iain that I would have preferred for Joel C to come on and use his high energy, pressing style to good effect – as he has done in the last couple of home games.
To our credit, we kept going to the very very end. Have to admire that the team have real spirit and kept calm. Everyone around me screaming to lump it forward in the 7th minute of injury time, but they still played it out carefully from the back to create that final opening for Ashford. And cue bedlam when Began netted the rebound! Not his finest game defensively, but he is looking a really good attacking outlet for us now and also putting in some excellent corners.
Been a good December so far, let’s hope that the Chelsea game doesn’t knock us off our stride too much and we can again rise to the challenge. But, if not, there’s always another 3 games to go this month!
Dai
I forgot to say in my bit of waffle that I said yesterday, a couple of times, that Donny’s high pressing was exactly what we didn’t want to see, with Chambers in our back four. I say this, as I have done many times concerning Chambers, because he is generally a liability in a game like yesterday and true to form, on a few occasions he gave cause for concern, with miscontrolling the ball or almost tripping over it. We’ve been saying it for a long time, he isn’t a centreback and would be better in midfield. As you say Dai, when will the penny drop with BBM?
I hope that BBM gives some thought to our defensive issues in the coming weeks because we can’t keep relying upon what seems to be the current mantra of you score a goal or two, we’ll score more to beat you. Here’s to a great festive season for everyone except our upcoming opponents. Cheers
Re Chambers… I actually despair of BBM ever seeing the light here. Iain and I are bound to be gnashing our teeth the rest of the season.
Just been looking at Donny’s fans forum: one of the best I have encountered. The fans are not happy that Grant McCann has borrowed Charlie Crew from Leeds… suggesting that Leeds send him somewhere else to learn his trade… basically saying words to the effect ‘he may well become a fine player one day, but for now we need MEN to play a MAN’S game’.
They urged GM not to select him in the starters for last Saturday.
But one or two are acknowledging that they are thinking again about the boy after that defence-splitting pass for the Hanlan goal.
Re their site, I was particularly interested in the advice they got re pubs to visit, places to park, etc.
https://tinyurl.com/463wsxxm
And a final word re Donny: we should not be surprised at their skill levels… this is the team who amazingly knocked out a near full strength Middlesbrough side from the 2025 Carabao Cup 0-4 at the Riverside, less than 4 months ago…!!
Mr Cleverley’s Green Army will – in contrast to our more expansive style – doubtless play with a parked bus in their next league game at the Eco-Power Stadium. It will be interesting to see if the Rovers can break them down.
Oh, and before signing off… I keep wanting to misspell Cleverley… as an adverb of clever, it should not have the third ‘e’.
But it does. Like the Yorkshire town of Beverley… though interestingly, not Beverly Hills, LA. (I nearly said ‘the Beverley Sisters, but nobody under 60 would have a clue who they were… even Wolves and Arsenal fans.)
DW.
Morning everyone and thanks for your replies. To return to the difference between how we set up at home and away, there was an incident in the second half on Saturday where, at 3-2 up, we pressed Doncaster’s dodgy keeper, but he just about managed to get the ball away to a team mate and then they played through us to the extent that when a ball was clipped forward out of the reach of Chambers, their striker Hanlan was left with a one on one with Trott which he missed by pulling the ball across the face of goal.
For me, that move summed up the difference between our attitude at home and away. I still say we aren’t defensive in our outlook when we play away, but we would not have been opened us as easily as that in an away game when we were a goal up.
It’s a question of numbers, I would say that in the vast majority of cases teams try to ensure that the number of attackers is less than the number of defenders, hence virtually every system used in the modern game follows this maxim e,g, 4-2-3-1, 3-5-2, 4-3-3 etc. The one exception I can think of that sides start games with these days is 3-4-3, but, even then, that often reverts to something like 5-4-1 when the team is out of possession. City often go against that norm at home though with their full backs pushed so high that our central defenders can be left one on one against teams that play with two forwards and it is then that Chambers struggles I believe (not forgetting of course that he had a poor game at Port Vale where we spent much of the game defending mind).
The one exception for City in terms of attitude in away games came in the second half at Blackpool where we left defenders even more isolated than we do at home after we had fallen behind and the result was another poor showing by Chambers and Dylan Lawlor’s worst forty five minutes in a City shirt as we could have conceded six in that forty five minutes.
It seems to me that, Port Vale apart, Chambers has done okay or better in away games when he is not left as isolated as he can be at home and so, if I were manager, I would not look to play him as often in games at Cardiff City Stadium – I don’t think it’s as simple as saying Chambers can’t play centreback, but I accept that there are circumstances where he struggles in that position.
Dai, I don’t think we should forget that Kpakio is just eighteen and I’ve always believed that, maybe moreso than with attacking players, defenders can improve with experience as they learn more about things like positioning and anticipation as they progress. I think Kpakio has the basic tools to become a good defender and I’d also say that the way we play at home especially is going to see what defensive weaknesses he has exposed from time to time.
Iain, you’re right that the referee’s nationality should make no difference, I just thought he was very poor, although I suppose we should all be grateful to him for playing as much added time as he did.
As for Plymouth, great to see Joe Ralls score and I must admit it wasn’t the sort of goal I expected it to be – I see there are Plymouth fans asking for his contract to be extended to the end of the season at least, they could do a lot worse.
I’m not sure Argyle will need to go to Bristol Rovers in the Virtu Cup with any sense of trepidation mind Dai.- I watched a fair bit of the first half of their tenth straight league defeat on Saturday where Swindon strolled a 3-0 half time lead and was not surprised in the least to learn that manager Darrell Clark was sacked a few hours later (their second managerial sacking of the season I think). I’ve always had a bit of a soft spot for Rovers, but they’re in terrible trouble on Saturday’s evidence where they looked like a team that Newport could realistically hope to catch and overhaul (sadly, I’m not sure there’s another side in League Two you can say that about though).
Thanks Paul for your customary wise words in answering and summing up this correspondence on the Doncaster Rovers game.
Just one tiny point from me: when I referred to Rovers and their ‘next league game’ I was not referring to The Gas… not if they were playing Plymouth… (seeing as they are in different divisions).
I should have spelt it out better. Apols.
Instead of which, re-reading my words above, I talked about them playing at the ‘Eco-Power Stadium’. Now, given the propensity for clubs to change stadium names at the drop of a hat these days (by re-selling naming rights), it is easy to assume that ‘The Mem’ as the Memorial Ground is affectionately called, had been re-named almost on the sly, so-to-speak…!! But no, I was referring to what was formerly known as The Keepmoat… and is I think still called that by many locals, just as many Swansea fans still call their home The Liberty… and probably always will.
Next Saturday’s game will be just as tough a test for Donny as Plymouth will park the bus.
As for the Vertu Trophy game at Bristol, it was only a month or so back that they both played one another there in the qualifying round, and Plymouth lost 1-0 to a goal scored with the last kick in the 94th minute… just as penalty takers were getting ready mentally.
And so, this result meant Bristol Rovers secured the top spot in Southern Group B, guaranteeing them a home draw in the knockout stages of the competition, and Plymouth qualified for an away draw… and yes, (maybe because the draw was still until the quarter finals regionally based?)… you’ve guessed… the teams have to go through it all again in the Round of 16, in January…!!
You are right Paul to see Newport and The Gas as being close to ‘cut adrift’ now… Colin Addison died a couple of months back, and how I remember joining the big crowd at Somerton Park in May 1977 to join over 8,000 fans (the highest attendance of the season) to see that final match of the season game versus Workington Town… which the County won 1-0 and thus pulled off just about the greatest escape of my lifetime. Poor old Workington did not get re-elected, and were replaced the next season by Wigan Athletic.
Even if Colin was to come back from the Next World, I cannot see him pulling this Great Escape off. Mr Fuchs has a poisoned chalice there. Huw Jenkins is getting shedloads of insults from the fans.
A final point on Doncaster Rovers…
Two days after the Munich Air Disaster, ten year old me, was allowed by his doting newly -widowed mam, to travel on my own on the ‘Football Special’ steam train from Porth to Ninian Park Halt for the home Div 2 game versus Doncaster… and I joined 13,000 fans in observing the minute’s silence. It was the first one I had ever witnessed and if I close my eyes I can see all 22 players lined up heads bowed… and see it just like it was yesterday*… though almost incredibly, it was nearly 70 years ago…!!
And just like we all remember Tosh taking his Swansea tracksuit top off to reveal his Liverpool shirt in that minute’s silence for Bill Shankly, so I recall one player standing out from the 22 all those 67 years ago.
That man was the first black player I ever saw: Charlie Williams… later to gain national fame as a comedian. Interesting how things have changed racially: before long I won’t be surprised if the day comes when one player out of 22 stands out… but as the only Caucasian, and small kids today will muse about it 70 years hence…!!
*maybe it was so memorable because I had never before witnessed a minute’s silence, and it was to be a few years before I witnessed another… but these days we seem to have one every third game on MotD.
DW.
Thank-you Paul for your latest report on the Doncaster R (h) game. There was so much happening on the pitch that you did well to keep up with it all. Due to a family engagement (Sunday) my comments will be brief this time.
It was the archetypal end-to-end encounter with seven goals thrown into the pot. Sadly, from a City perspective, defensive shortcomings were laid bare in a sloppy afternoon’s work. Too much space was given to the visitors that they exploited easily but, in the end, the home team’s quality got City over the line. The American referee seemed weak and in some instances allowed the visitors to ref the game.
Of the City goals:
#1 … An excellent volley from Kellyman came after good work by Davies down the left, despite the defender’s three or four attempts to haul him back. Why no booking?
#2 … Ashford’s forceful run into the box resulted in an opening to shoot but the keeper should have done better in preventing the goal.
#3 … Not for the first time this season a Wintle pass presented a goal scoring opportunity. It was a real strikers goal as Salech muscled in front of a defender to slot home.
#4 … Again it was Ashford’s purposeful run and shot which gave Bagan the chance and he placed the ball between keeper and upright. The visitor’s keeper should have done much better but the City full-back did all he could. Many column inches will be written about why Bagan was inside the Doncaster penalty area but I’m glad he was. Memories of Morrison at Hull spring to mind.
So 61% possession; 9 shots on target; 547 passes (83% accurate) and 31 touches in the opposition penalty area. Bagan’s was priceless.
PS: I did actually get to see the Beverley Sisters at the Paladium in London. And yes, as everyone knows, Joy married the Wolverhampton Wanderers and England football captain Billy Wright.
Apologies to Dai for getting my Rovers’ mixed up (he made it perfectly clear which Rovers he was talking about and my only slight excuse is that whereas I could once name the grounds for all ninety two league clubs without a second’s thought of them, I don’t even bother trying to learn the corporate driven names stadiums get these days – what’s the point? Most of them change again within a couple of years!).
Steve, maybe I’m wrong, but I think Bagan might have popped up in that position if the score had been 1-0 to City in, say, the sixtieth minute, rather than 3-3 in the ninety ninth. It goes back to my point about how we play at home – I would hazard a guess that the plan at home is for our full backs to spend as much time in the opposition penalty area as they’re own, hence our centre backs are left almost to cope by themselves with help probably more likely to come from whoever is playing the number six role. I would say that when we play away, the full backs are given less license to get forward while we’re not losing. Interestingly, when we trailed 1-0 for the majority of the game at Stockport, I can’t remember us showing the same Kamikaze approach we got at Blackpool as soon as we fell behind – maybe Stockport were good enough not to let us get out at them, so we were forced to spend more time on the back foot?
As for the Beverley Sisters, a bit before my time I’m afraid and my knowledge of them doesn’t extend much further than the Billy Wright connection. Similarly, I’m too young to remember Wright the player or even his, none too successful I believe, short spell as Arsenal manager – I can recall him working in television for ITV mind, but I don’t think that work extended into the 70s did it?
Ta, Paul.
As you say, teams often have a nuances in their play depending on whether its a home or away game. Your assertion that our centre backs are left to defend by themselves at home does seem to be our default position in League games. Doncaster’s second goal showed how open we were, even in the 42nd minute. I think Bagan’s positioning, to allow him to score the winner, was magnified by the lateness of the hour though our full backs are more than liable to be in that position at any time during the game.
No one seems to mention Trott’s reluctance to come off his line for 30/40s, let alone 50/50s. Some might say it’s not worth the risk of giving away a penalty these days, but if he would just act as a sweeper it might solve your Chamber’s problem at a stroke.
Also I agree with the chorus of advocates for leaving an Ashford on the centre circle to tie up 2 opposition players when we defend a corner. Our overcrowded box leads to ping pong chaos, deflections that give Trott no chance and an ‘after you, no, after you, sir’ mentality.
A brief word on the One Minute’s Silence when they were uncommon.
In March/April 1959, Jeff Hall, a Birmingham and England footballer – active right until the previous few weeks – died of polio.
Cardiff were due to play Fulham the imminent Saturday (it might be that Jeff Hall died on the Saturday itself), and a minute’s silence was duly observed.
In common with young Dai (and I was a similar age when I experienced it), for me the occasion remains vivid and very moving; Fulham in their sharply delineated white shirts/black shorts.
What never disappears in the mind’s eye is the slow-moving train, remorselessly making its way the other side of the stadium.
That season, Fulham too were rail-roading every thing in their way.
Amongst others, they had Johnny Haynes, Tony Macedo, Graham Leggat (a favourite of mine), even Jimmy Hill.
They were too good for us, but the occasion properly has its place in the memory.
Yes I saw/observed that too Lindsay. I think it was my second ‘silence’ after the Munich one. Jeff Hall’s death was so ‘close to home’ in that in the 1950s we were all terrified of the scourge of polio… we all knew at least one kid in our school with a metal brace on his/her leg. And we were terrified of ending up in an iron lung.
As for Fulham, they got promoted that season. We went up the next one. I saw Fulham at Ninian a few times in those years… my main memories are their handsome Gibraltarian keeper, Tony Macedo; the rare sight of a bearded player in Jimmy Hill, Graham Leggat (like Lindsay, I rated him highly), the imperious, elegant Johnny Haynes; Jim Langley the hard tackling all-energy left back; and best of allI recall a chap who looked like a granddad on the left wing. Tosh Chamberlain (google ‘not in the summer he ain’t’ for one of the funniest football anecdotes I know) looked like a double of Ipswich’s left winger Jimmy Leadbetter… and was just as dangerous. Both men were prematurely bald.
As for Chris’s comments (RWC): I echo the points he makes. What’s the betting that Trott plays a blinder tonight? He’ll know that there is a big national TV audience watching on… including lots of managers who could pounce and do a deal with the Danes… in the January window.
DW